Feeding a little one seems like a more complex landscape than it used to be, given questions about how necessary it is to buy organic, the safety of some meats and genetically modified foods, the affects of our diets on the environment, and the intentions and marketing behind some packaged baby foods.
In my efforts to raise a healthy, happy eater, Sweet Pea is a place to share information, offer thoughts, ask questions, document the process of trying to raise a smarter vegetarian than I ever was and, I hope, to remain mindful of enjoying it all.
I'm the author of "The Gastronomy of Marriage" and a freelance writer in Brooklyn, N.Y., where I spend my time cooking, eating, running, writing, Tweeting (@MichelleMaisto) and struggling to learn Mandarin.

Easter Ricotta Pie: A Quick Recipe For A New Tradition

More than chocolate eggs or marshmallow chicks, Easter speaks to me of a chilled ricotta pie laced with cinnamon and lemon zest. Far from the toothache-sweet of hollow bunny ears, ricotta pie is a clean, bright, lightly sweet after-dinner palate cleanser that’s equally welcome at the breakfast table.

In my family we call this type of pie pizza di ricotta, though a version with toasted pine nuts also goes by torta della nonna. The Italians have countless variations on this type of pie — a base of ricotta, eggs and sugar that may meet up with lemon or orange zest, maybe raisins, candied fruit, tiny chocolate chips in the tradition of cannoli, a spirit for kick or a subtle grain for mouthfeel. In Under the Tuscan Sun (the excellent book, not the atrocious movie) there’s a scene where Frances Mayes — after discovering that the feathery, until-then-unnotable trees lining her driveway are bearers of pine nuts — makes a version with polenta and a custard filling, in lieu of ricotta.

There are as many versions, the thinking goes, as there are nonnas.

The advent of Easter has made me think about how I want to introduce the holiday to my daughter and what I hope she’ll associate it with. As a Christian, I wonder about whether to go in for all the Bunny stuff, and whether to chatter about Jesus to her not-understanding ears or just talk about springtime and chicks. As a mom, I think about whether I can skip the chocolates and Peeps and fill her basket instead with books and stickers — and for how many years I’ll be able to convince her this is cooler. All I’ve so far figured out is that there will be colored eggs and there will be, religiously, ricotta pie. I hope my girl someday looks forward to it, and associates it with cherry blossoms and brisk spring weather, and will maybe even enjoy standing beside me at the counter, cutting out a lattice pie crust.

It’s possible, of course, that she’ll hate it, or turn her nose up to it in favor of jellybeans and other treats that will have us struggling for control of the toothbrush at the end of the night. Either way, we’ll have our traditions.

EASTER RICOTTA PIE

I copied this recipe a dozen years ago from a card in my mother’s kitchen. I have no idea where it came from, but it’s as simple as they come, welcoming a bit of experimentation.

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